Direct Approach to Seller

joe427

Hi,

I have found a property on the market that I was really interested in on Saturday evening. I phoned the estate agents on Sunday morning to be advised that the vender has requested the estate agents do the viewings and on Sundays only one estate agent is available in the office. Therefore they were unable to conduct a viewing. They advised that they would ring the vender to ask if they would mind showing me around.

Hours later and no phone call, I tried to ring back but couldn't get an answer. Next day, today, I ring the estate agents again to be told that the house has had an offer and won't be accepting no more viewings. So I told the estate agent, I'm really interested and prepared to make a better offer. The agent says he will contact the vender and get back to me in half hour. An hour and half later, I end up ringing them again and the agent tells me casually the vender is not accepting any more offers and it sounded like he had no intention of calling me back.

These estate agents have been pretty useless from first experience above, and each time have asked for my address, phone number and availability as if they are jotting it down with invisible ink.

I'm thinking of going round to the house to give the seller my number and just to state my interest without being a nuisance but I'm not sure if I should just leave it. I can't seem to find out much information on approaching a seller who already has an offer, can anyone give any advice? I'm a first time buyer with everything in place (mortgage in principle, solicitors, deposit etc). I understand you'd be pretty hacked off if you was the seller but it's a bit of a war out there at the moment, houses are going before they are even advertised!

Halle71

My opinion is that all is fair in love and buying houses :-)
There is certainly nothing to say you can't do this and you have nothing to lose - if you don't ask you don't get.

We desperately wanted a house we were buying as a BTL and, as there were lots of offers we hand wrote a letter to the owner explaining our intentions (his reservations about us were that he didn't really want to force a rental property/dodgy tenants on to his neighbours but we had a lovely family lined up as tenants for 3 years). It went to best and final bids and he chose someone else. Even though it was supposed to be final we cheekily increased our offer and won.

Another house had an open day cancelled at the last minute because someone knocked on the door and made an offer.

Nothing to say you have to tow the party line. Oh, and flatter them - even though they are moving everyone wants to think their house is lovely :-)

G_M

If the vendor has accepted an offer and removed his property from the market, and/or instructed his agent not to conduct further viewings, what can the agent do except.... precisely what he has done.

Talc1234

Halle71 wrote: »

We desperately wanted a house we were buying as a BTL

Now I have heard everything!!!

Congratulations on buying your 'lovely' BTL and depriving someone of their home

To the OP : contact the vendor directly, you have nothing to loose

ognum

Talc1234 wrote: »

Now I have heard everything!!!

Congratulations on buying your 'lovely' BTL and depriving someone of their home

To the OP : contact the vendor directly, you have nothing to loose

Surely what has been supplied is a 'lovely' home for someone who for whatever reason doesn't want to buy it and that's good!

Halle71

Talc1234 wrote: »

Now I have heard everything!!!

Congratulations on buying your 'lovely' BTL and depriving someone of their home

To the OP : contact the vendor directly, you have nothing to loose

So I, and all the other landlords out there are not allowed to have a preference when purchasing property? Over half of Londoners now rent so who do you think provides this accommodation?

The family who have moved in cannot afford to buy in London and were in a cramped 2 bed with grandma on a pull out bed during the week when she child minds. They now have a lovely 4 bed house with masses of space where their baby learnt to walk within days of moving in. Grandma has her own room and bathroom and there is a garden for when the rain eventually stops. And this is costing them £100 more than the pokey flat, below the market rate because they want it long term.

That's the short term. In our long term it's a college fund for our kids/pension for us. Where better to put your savings than in London property, after all, it was doing nothing in the bank. Surely very MSE? :money:

And I'm surprised that, from your moral high horse, you have advised the OP to counter offer. What about the poor family who have had their offer accepted and believe they have found their dream home?!

jules888

I dont think all is fair in buying houses.Its an awful business and i couldnt do to people what some people do.

jvpari

we hadn't put our flat on the market when we found a house we wanted. The selling agent lowered their commission if we sell with them also and we have a contract based on buying this particular house. Perhaps the agent has a similar agreement with the person that made the offer. I hope you find somewhere else soon

Talc1234

Halle71 wrote: »

The family who have moved in cannot afford to buy in London

Is this due to BTL speculators (like you) who target starter homes thereby pricing families out of the market?

I wouldn't have an issue if you bought studio flats, student accommodation or commercial properties to fund your retirement

hazyjo

From the other side of the fence... if I were selling a house and someone made an acceptable offer, I would cancel other viewings.

If I had other viewers lined up who I thought might better the offer, I'd let the viewings go ahead - unless the first keen buyers offered the asking price.

Some people can't be arsed with all the hassle of getting a house ready for viewings and are happy to accept an offer even if there are other interested parties.

Lastly, some people are honourable in that if they accept someone's offer, it doesn't matter how much someone else offers, they will go with what they shook on. (Been there, done that - and would hope others would do the same, but am well aware from the forums on here that many wouldn't.)

I would tell the EA to contact me if it falls through but I wouldn't try to gazump someone else.

Jx

warehouse

OP, if the estate agent moved their lips then chances are they were lying.

Write a nice note, pop it through the letterbox of the house in question and wait for a call.